Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
If you own a Google Pixel phone and Android Auto started hitting connection issues, you're not alone. A recent update might have introduced bugs affecting Google's smartphones, with the Android Auto experience plagued by severe consistency problems.
The head unit not detecting the phone, Android Auto not launching, and the app shutting down in the middle of the drive are bugs that have been around for some time. Most people would expect a Pixel phone to provide a smoother experience on Android Auto, mainly because it's a Google device running a Google app.
A flood of reports pointing to connection problems hitting Pixel phones proves there's no such thing as a flawless hardware setup for running Android Auto. Google customers claim their phones fail to launch Android Auto after connecting them to the head unit in the car, while others claim the app launches but shuts down a few minutes later.
A recent update introduced this inconsistent behavior, users claim, but it doesn't seem directly related to Android Auto. The bug might have been included in a Pixel phone update, eventually causing problems with connections to specific head units. The errors don't hit all devices, as some users claim everything continues to run correctly in their cabins.
As typically happens when users encounter such problems, most people turn to the common generic workarounds, including reinstalling Android Auto and clearing the cache and the data. The experience after trying out these fixes is mixed. Some users claim everything returns to normal temporarily, while others explain that Android Auto still fails to launch with a Google Pixel phone.
Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 owners confirmed the connection problems, but some users claim they encountered such reliability issues at least two months ago. The behavior somehow became more widespread following a recent Pixel update, but no confirmation exists.
Google has remained tight-lipped on the Android Auto issues hitting its phones. Still, the company should start an investigation as soon as possible, especially because the number of reports in this regard keeps growing. Furthermore, the lack of a workaround to fix Android Auto makes it impossible for users to run the app in their cars, with some threatening to move to other phone brands unless a patch goes live fast.
For now, users have no option but to try out the generic solutions – re-pairing the Pixel phone with the head unit has an increased likelihood of resolving the problems but is no guarantee the problem is completely gone. If you haven't updated your Pixel phone to the latest OS version and Android Auto continues to run correctly in your car, you might want to think twice before installing the newest release, considering all these problems.
A flood of reports pointing to connection problems hitting Pixel phones proves there's no such thing as a flawless hardware setup for running Android Auto. Google customers claim their phones fail to launch Android Auto after connecting them to the head unit in the car, while others claim the app launches but shuts down a few minutes later.
A recent update introduced this inconsistent behavior, users claim, but it doesn't seem directly related to Android Auto. The bug might have been included in a Pixel phone update, eventually causing problems with connections to specific head units. The errors don't hit all devices, as some users claim everything continues to run correctly in their cabins.
As typically happens when users encounter such problems, most people turn to the common generic workarounds, including reinstalling Android Auto and clearing the cache and the data. The experience after trying out these fixes is mixed. Some users claim everything returns to normal temporarily, while others explain that Android Auto still fails to launch with a Google Pixel phone.
Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 owners confirmed the connection problems, but some users claim they encountered such reliability issues at least two months ago. The behavior somehow became more widespread following a recent Pixel update, but no confirmation exists.
Google has remained tight-lipped on the Android Auto issues hitting its phones. Still, the company should start an investigation as soon as possible, especially because the number of reports in this regard keeps growing. Furthermore, the lack of a workaround to fix Android Auto makes it impossible for users to run the app in their cars, with some threatening to move to other phone brands unless a patch goes live fast.
For now, users have no option but to try out the generic solutions – re-pairing the Pixel phone with the head unit has an increased likelihood of resolving the problems but is no guarantee the problem is completely gone. If you haven't updated your Pixel phone to the latest OS version and Android Auto continues to run correctly in your car, you might want to think twice before installing the newest release, considering all these problems.
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